Programming circuits



Feb. 14, 1961 A. P. JACKEL PROGRAMMING CIRCUITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 A. P. JACKEL 2,972,089 PROGRAMMING CIRCUITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 14, 1961 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 Hflbap 1? 7230566.

w k W HIS HTTORIVZY United btates Fatent 2,972,089 PROGRAMMING CIRCUITS Arthur P. .lackel, Penn Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assiguor to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 686,323 8 Claims. (Cl. 317-140) My invention relates to programming circuits and more particularly to a circuit including a chain of counting relays for programming the printout of data to such devices as electric typewriters, Teletype distributors, tape punches, and the like.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a new and improved printout circuit.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and improved printout circuit including a chain of counting relays utilizing a minimum number of relays.

In the attainment of the foregoing objects I provide a chain of relays energizing the solenoids of, for instance, an electric typewriter. The chain of relays comprise a first and second group of relays; the relays in the first group being energized successively in response to a control signal; and, the relays in said second group being energized successively by operation of the last relay of said first group to count the number of cycles of operation of said first group. Drive relays initiate the operation of said counting chains. One of the relays of a pair of half-step operated relays is operated to enter a count to the counting chain, and the other relay is then operated to a similar position as the first relay to energize the typewriter solenoids.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements throughout and in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a programming circuit according to the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a selection circuit for energizing the solenoids of an electric typewriter.

I shall first describe one embodiment of a programming circuit according to the present invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims. A present use of the disclosed program chain for printout is to feed data received in the form of pulses at a central ofliee of an oil pipeline control system to an electric typewriter in a fixed format. One embodiment of the circuitry employed is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

. In the figures, a suitable source of energy, not shown,

is indicated by the conventional signs B and N for the positive and negative terminals of the source, respectively. The resistors connected in parallel to the various relays are the usual snubbing resistors for decreasing slightly the speed at which the relay contacts release.

It will be understood at the outset that the term relay or contact picked up refers to a relay being energized to actuate its armature to close its front contacts, and the term relay or contact released refers to a relay being deenergized to actuate its armature to open its front contacts and close its back contacts.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, when all the data information is received for printout, a program mastercontrol relay PGM is picked up over any desired initiation source, such as a clock, a push button operation, or a relay command. The circuit for relay PGM also includes back contact of relay PGREnd and back contact f of relay PGT. Relay PGM starts the printout operation by picking up a local drive relay PGA over a circuit extending from terminal N through the operating winding of relay PGA, lead 13, front contact d of relay PGM, lead 12, back contact b of relay PGREnd, lead 11, and back contact a of relay PGT to terminal B.

Relay PGA in turn picks up the first chain repeat relay PGRl over a circuit extending from terminal N through the winding of relay' PGRI, lead 16, back contact b of relay PGT, lead 15, front contact a of relay PGA, lead 35:4, and front contact 0 of PGM to terminal B.

Relay PGT is a slow release, pulse-bridging timer relay. Relays PGRl to PGREnd function as a group of cycle counting relays or chain repeat relays to count the number of times a first group of counting relays, PG1 to PG8, cycle or repeat. Relays PG1 to PGS are successively energized by input control pulses, as will hereinafter be described.

Relay PGRI then picks up relay PG1 over a circuit extending from terminal N through the winding of PG1, lead 19, front contact 0 of relay PGRl, lead 18, back contact e of relay PGT, lead 17, and front contact b of relay PGM to terminal B.

' Relays PGRl and PG1 next pick up relay PGY over a circuit extending from terminal N through the upper winding of relay PGY, back contact a of relay PGZ, lead 29, front contact I) of PGA, back contact b of PGB, lead 25, back contact c of PGT, lead 23, front contact d'of PGRl, lead 27, front contact 0 of PG1, lead 21, front contact a of PGA, lead 14, and front contact a of PGM to terminal B.

' Relays PGY and PGZ provide a pair of half-step operated relays for energizing the counting relays PG1- PGS. As is known, half step relays PGY and PGZ in effect divide by half the pulsing action of remote drive relay PGB in order to reduce the number of counting relays employed.

I RelayPGY then picks up PGT over a circuit extending from terminal N through the operating winding of relay PGT, lead 31, front contact c of relay PGY, lead 23, front contact d of relay PGRI, lead 27, front contact c of relay PG1,.lead 21, front contact a of relay PGA, lead 14, and front contact c of relay PGM to terminal B.

Relay PGT opens the initial pick-up circuits to relays PGRl, PG1, PGM, PGA, and PGY. However, PGRI, PG1, PEM, and PGY remain energized by circuits extending over their own front contacts, that is, their stick circuits.

The stick circuit for PGRI extends from terminal N through winding PGRI over its own front contact a, the back contacts a of relays PGRZ through PGREnd, lead 10, front contact d of relay PGT, lead 17, and front contact b of relay PGM to terminal B. The stick circuit for'PGl extends from terminal N through winding PG1 over its own front contact a, back contact a of relay PGZ, lead 20, front contact b of PGY, lead 22, front contact e of relay PGT, lead 17, and front contact b of relay PGM to terminal B. The stick circuit for PGY extends from terminal N through the lower winding of PGY over its own front contact a, lead 39, back contact b of relay PGA (now closed), back contact I) of relay PGB, lead 25, front contact c of relay PGT, lead 41, and front contact 0 of relay PGM to terminal B. The stick circuit for relay PGM includes its own front contact a, front contact f of relay PGT, and back contact c of relay PGREnd.

Relay PGB is energized by the motion of the type bar which acts to close contact 9 in the energizing circuit of PGB each time a typewriter character is entered. The pulse-bridging timer relay PGT will stay up during the time interval between the pulses received from PGB. Rectifier 35 aids the slow release characteristic of PGT. PGT connects itself under pulse control from the local drive relay PGA and the remote drive relay PGB over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGT and its own front contact b, lead 15, front contact a of PGA or front contact a of relay PGB in parallel, lead 14, and front contact of relay PGM to terminal B. When PGT picks up, the circuit extending from terminal N through PGA, lead 13, front contactd of PGM, lead 12, back contact b of PGREnd, lead 11, and back contact a of PGT to terminal B is opened, and PGA releases. PGA releasing will pickup relay PGZ, and relay PGY will be held up. PGZ will be picked up over a circuit extending from terminal N'through the upper winding of PGZ, lead 37, front contact a of relay PGY, lead 39, back contact b of relay PGA, back contact'b of relay PGB, lead 25, front contact c of relay PGT, lead 41, and front contact c of relay PGM to terminal B. PGY will be held up over a circuit extending from terminal N through the lower winding of PGY, front contact a of PGY, and the circuit as traced in the preceding sentence for PGZ.

Referring now also to Fig. 2, which shows only a representative portion of the entire circuit, each time PGY and P62 are both picked up or both released, a selected typewriter solenoid becomes energized over a circuit including the counting chain relays, the chain repeat relays and the contacts of the pressure data relays. When both PGY and PGZ are picked up a circuit is completed from terminal B through front contact 2 of PGM,

front contact g of PGT, front contact 0 of PGZ, front contact d of PGY thence through the contacts of an energized one of odd numbered counting relays P61, P63, P65, or P67, an energized one of the chain repeat relays PGRl to PGREnd and the selected typewriter solenoid to terminal N. When PGY and PGZ are both deenergized a circuit is completed from terminal B through front contact e of PGM, front contact g of PGT, back contact d of PGY, back contact c of PGZ through the contact of an energized one of theeven numbered counting relays P62, P64, P66, or P68, the energized one of the chain repeat relays PGRI to PGREnd, and the selected solenoid to terminal N.

Fig. 2 shows in detail only a part of a complete circuit for energizing the typewriter solenoids. The suction pressure indicating relays are energized by indication storage relays in accordance with the information received from the field. The means of energizing the relays and/or receiving the data is not shown since it is not per se a part of my invention, nor is it necessary to the explanation of my invention. -As is well known the indication storage of the pressure information ,may be on the basis of weighted binary code using 4 digits namely 8, 4, 2 and 1. By appropriate energization of the indicating relays an appropriate combination of digits is provided to energize the appropriate solenoid to obtain various numbers between 1 to 9.

Assume now that the first typewriter'character is being typed. While the type-bar is in motion an answer back contact 9, see Fig. l, closes momentarily to pick up PGB for a short time interval.

PGB picks up and thus releases PGY by opening the stick circuit for PGY previously traced and which includes front contact a of PGY.

Release of PGY picks up P62 and releases P61. P62 is picked up over a circuit extending from terminal N through the winding of P62, front contact b of relay P61, lead 26, back contact b of relay P68, lead 24, back contact b of relay PGY, lead 22', front contact e of relay PGT, lead 17, and through front contactb of relay PGM to terminal B.

PGY releasing also releases P61 since the stick circuit for P61 previously traced and which includes front contact b of PGY is opened. As soon as relay P62 picks up, the snubbing circuit for P61 extending from terminal N through rectifier 34,back contact a of P62, front contact a of P61 and through the winding of P61 back to terminal N is opened and P61 releases.

Rectifiers 34 and 36 are usual snubbers for imparting slow release characteristics to counting relays P61-P68. Rectifier 40 is a snubber for relays P6R1-P6REnd.

After a short period of time, when PGB releases it causes PGZ to release since the stick circuit for PGZ extending from terminal N through the lower winding of PGZ, and including its own front contact a, lead 29, front contact b of relay PGB, lead 25, front contact 0 of PGT, lead 41, and front contact c of PGM to terminal B is opened; At this point PGY and P6Z are both released, and as seen from Fig. 2 a circuit from terminal B through front contact 2 of PGM, front contact g of PGT, back contact d of PGY, back contact 0 of PGZ, front contact 0 of P62, front contact 1 of P6R1, the various contacts of the pressure relays and through the corresponding typewriter solenoid of selection circuit A to terminal N is completed to enterthe second typewriter character.

While the'type bar is entering the second typewriter character, the answer-back contact9 again closes momentarily and PGB is picked up for a short time interval. PGB picks up PGY over a circuit extending from terminal N through the upper winding of PGY, back contact a of PGZ, lead 29, front contact b of PGB, lead 25, front contact 0 of PGT, lead 41, and front contact c of P6M to terminal B. PGY then picks up counting relay P63 over a circuit extending from terminal N through the Winding of P63, front contact a of P62, back contact a of P61, lead 20, front contact b of PGY, lead 22, front contact e of PGT, lead 17, and front contact b of PGM to terminal N. P63 when picked up releases P62 by interrupting the stick circuit for P62 which includes back contact b of P63 and front contact b of P62. Then when PGB drops out after a short period of time, it picks up PGZ over the circuit including the upper Winding of PGZ, which circuits have been traced hereinabove.

At this point both PGY and PGZ have been picked up so that, see Fig. 2, a circuit is completed from terminal B, front contact e of PGM, front contact g of PGT, front contact c of PGZ, front contact d of PGY, front contact 0 of P63, front contact g of PGRI, and the contacts of the pressure relays through the corresponding solenoid in another selection circuit to terminal N to enter the third typewriter character. It will be appreciated that one of the half-step operated relays, PGY orPGZ, is operated to cause a count to be entered into the counting relays P61 to P68, then after the count is entered into the counting relays, the other halfstep operated relay is operated to cause a solenoid to be energized to enter a typewriter character.

Relay PGB continues to advance the chain for eight counts in a manner similar to that described above until relay P68 picks up. P68 picks up over 'a circuit extending from terminal N through the winding of P68, front contact b of P67, back contact b of P66, lead 24, back contact b of PGY, lead 22, front contact e of PGT, lead 17 and front contact b of PGM to terminal B. P68 picks up chain repeat relay P6R2 over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGR2, front contact b of PGRl, back contact b of P6R3, back contact b of PGRS, lead 38, back contact b of PGRE, lead 42, front contact e of P68, lead 10, front contact d of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B.

When P6R2 picks up, P6R1 is released since the stick circuit for P6R1 extending from terminal N through winding P6R1, its own front contact a, the back contacts a of relays P6R2 through PGREnd, lead 10, front contact d of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B is opened when back contact a of P6R2 opens.

P68 also closes a circuit to pick up PGA to advance the chain locally to the ninth step by picking up P61".

PGA is picked up over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGA, lead 13, front contact d of PGM, lead 12, back contact b of PGREnd, lead 11, back contact b of PGZ, lead 43, back contact c of PG7 and front contact 0 of PG8 to terminal B.

PGl is picked up a second time over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGl; leads 19 and 45, front contact a of PG8, back contact a of PG7, lead 47, front contact 01 of PGR2, lead 49, back contact 0 of PGRE, lead 20, front contact b of PGY, lead 22, front contact 2 of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B.

During the ninth step PGRE is also picked up, and it stays up until the seventeenth step. PGRE is picked up over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGRE, lead 51, front contact c of PGR2, lead 52, back contact d of PG8, lead 10, front contact d of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B. PGRE is an even-numbered repeat relay. That is, when PGRE is energized one of the even numbered chain repeat relays PGR2, PGR4 or PGREnd will be energized, and when PGRE is released an odd numbered relay PGRl, PGR3 or PGRS will be energized. Relay PG8 causes the first group of counting relays PG1PG8 to recycle a second time in a manner similar to that described above for the first recycle operation. PGA and PGB continue to advance the chain for eight counts in a manner similar to that described above until P63 picks up a second time. Similarly, relay PG8 will cause relays PG1-PG8 to recycle each time PG8 is energized. Thus PG8 operates as the end relay of the first group of counting relays PG1PG8, also as a control relay for causing a recycling of relays PGl-PGS, and further as a control relay for causing successive ones of-the cycle counting or chain repeat relays PGRl-PGREnd to be energized. Programming circuit chains of which I am aware require a separate control or recycling relay for each time the counting chain cycle is intended to repeat. In one practical embodiment of my programming circuits the counting relays PG1-PG8 are recycled approximately 30 times. It will thus be appreciated that a large number of repeat relays are eliminated by my programming chain.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1 no typewriter character is required to be entered during the operation of PG8. However, as shown in Fig. 2 a typewriter character can be entered over PG8 if required. When so required, the circuit producing chain advances over contact 0 of PG8 through operating relay PGA is omitted. This circuit may be traced from terminal B over front contact 0 of PG8, back contact 0 of PG7, lead 50, back contact b of PGZ, lead 11, back contact b of PGREnd, lead 55, front contact d of PGM, and through the winding of PGA to terminal N.

When the above circuit is omitted, chain advance on steps 8, 16, etc. is obtained by entry of a typewriter character over contact 9 and operating relay PGB in a similar manner as for relays PGl-PG7.

During step 16, PGR3 picks up and PGR2 releases. PGR3 picks up over a circuit extending from terminal N through Winding PGR3, front contact b of PGRZ, back contact b of PGR4, lead 53, front contact b of PGRE, lead 42, front contact e of PG8, lead 10, front contact 0! of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B. PGRZ releases since the stick circuit from terminal N through winding PGRZ, its own front contact a, the back contacts a of relays PGR3 through PGREnd, lead 10, front contact d of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B is opened when back contact a of relay PGR3 opens.

When the chain is advanced to step 17 PGRE releases since the circuit previously traced from terminal N to terminal B through winding PGRE, lead 51, is opened when front contact 0 of PGRZ releases.

On step 24, PGR4 picks up and PGR3 releases.

6 PGRE picks up on step 25 over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGRE, lead 51, front contact c of PGR4, lead 52, back contact a of PG8,

lead 10, front contact at of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B. On step 32, PGRS picks up and PGR4 releases. PGRE releases on step 33 since the circuit previously traced from terminal N to terminal B through winding of PGRE, and lead 51 is interrupted when front contact 0 of PGR4 is opened. Thus PGRE provides a means of in eifect shifting between two energizing circuits such that only one relay of the PGRE to PGREnd group is energized at a time. Without PGRE all the chain repeat relays PGRl- PGREnd would be energized on one operation since, as can be appreciated there is an overlap in time at the instant a succeeding relay is energized and a preceding relay is released. As seen in Fig. 2 contact d of PGRE also switches the circuit over front contact 1 of PG8 to different selection circuits.

From Fig. 2 it will be apparent that circuit selections are made by using only the front contacts of chain repeat relays PGRl to PGREnd thus reducing the contact requirements considerably. Most such chains with which I am familiar require transfer contacts on chain repeat relays to separate the energizing circuits from one another when the chain progresses from one repeat cycle to the next.

The counting relays PGl-PGS cycle five times and on step 40, which is the final step, PG8 picks up relay PGREnd. PGREnd is picked up over a circuit extending from terminal N through winding PGREnd, front contact b of PGRS, lead 38, back contact b of PGRE, lead 42, front contact e of PG8, lead 10, front contact d of PGT, lead 17, and through front contact b of PGM to terminal B. PGREnd opens the pickup circuit to PGA so no further local chain advances are made. PGA remains deenergized since the circuit previously traced from terminal N to terminal B through winding PGA, lead 13, front contact 0! of PGM, and lead 12 is interrupted when back contact b of PGREnd is opened. PGREnd also releases PGM. PGM is deenergized since its stick circuit from terminal N to terminal B through winding PGM, is interrupted when back contact c of PGREnd opens. PGM releases all the other program relays since the energizing circuits heretofore traced are interrupted when the PGM contacts release.

Fig. 2 shows one-Wire circuit selections in which one solenoid is energized to actuate each character, and which may be used for solenoid operated electric typewriters. As is Well known in the art, a five-wire selection network may also be controlled in a manner as disclosed above over an expanded selection network for operating Teletype printers and distributors, tape punches and the like.

While my invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such modifications within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A program chain comprising a plurality of electrically connected groups of counting relays, means providing control signals, means responsive to the control signals for energizing and operating the relays of the first group successively, operation of the last relay in said first group resetting said first group to its initial condition and energizing the next numerical higher group, operation of the last counting relay in each group resetting the respective group to its initial condition and controlling the energization of successive ones of the relays in said next higher group.

2. A chain for programming the printout of pulsed data to electrically actuated printing devices and for energizing solenoids of said devices by data arranged in a fixed format, said chain comprising first and second electrically connected groups of counting relays, means providing control signals, relay means responsive to said control signals for energizing and operating the relays in said first group successively, operation of the last relay in said first group energizing the relays in said second group successively to count the number of cycles of operation of said first group of relays, and said relay means further being responsive to said control signals for energizing said solenoids over predetermined combinations of the contacts of said first and second group of relays.

3. A program chain for energizing the solenoids of electrically actuated printing devices by data arranged in a fixed format, comprising first and second electrically connected groups of counting relays, means providing control signals, relay means including a pair of stepping relays, said relay means being responsive to said control signals for energizing and operating said first group of relays successively, operation of the same last relay in said first group of counting relays energizing the relays in said second group successively to count the operating cycles of said first group of relays, one of said pair of stepping relays being operated in response to said control signals at a given time to cause a count to be entered into said counting groups and the other relay ofsaid pair being operated in response to said control signals after the count is entered into said groups to cause a solenoid to be energized whereby'said printing devices print a character.

4. A program chain for energizing the character cntering solenoids of electrically actuated printing devices by data arranged in a fixed format, comprising first and second groups of electrically connected counting relays, means providing control signals, relay means including a pair of stepping relays responsive to said control signals for energizing and operating said first group of relays successively, operation of the same last relay in said first group energizing the relays of said second group successively to count the number of operating cycles of said first group of relays, said pair of stepping relays each having first and second positions, relay means responsive to said control signals for operating said stepping relays, one of said stepping relays when operated to its first position causing one of the odd numbered relays in said first group of relays to be energized, the other of said stepping relays when operated to its second position causing one of the even numbered relays in said first group to be energized, and said stepping relays when both operated to. a same position causing one of said solenoids to be energized.

5. A program chain for programming the printout of pulsed data to electrically actuated printing devices such as electric typewriters and for energizing the solenoids of said devices by data arranged in a fixed format, said program chain comprising first and second groups of counting relays, means providing control signals, relay means responsive to said control signals for energizing and operating the relays in said first group successively, operation of the same last relay in said first group energizing the relays in said second group successively to count the number of cycles of said first group of relays, said relay means including drive relays for controlling the'successive operation of said counting groups, a pulse bridging timer relay for maintaining said chain energized between control pulses, a cycle repeat relay for insuring the energization of only one relay of said second group of relays at a time and a pair of halfstep relays each having a first and second position, said drive relays operating one of said half-step relays to one of its positions to enter a count into said counting groups, and said drive relays then operating the other of said halfstep relays to a same position to cause said solenoids to be energized.

. 6. A program chaintor energizing the solenoids of electrically actuated printing devices such as electric typewriters by data arranged in a fixed format, said chain comprising first and second groups of counting relays, means providing control signals, relay means responslve to. said control signals for energizing and operating said first group of relays successively, thesame last relay in said first group effective to successively energize the second group of relays to count the number of operating cycles of said first group of relays, said relay means including a pair of half-step operated relays having first and second positions and drive relays for operating the first half-step relay of said pair to one of its positions to cause a count to be entered into said counting groups, and after the count is entered said drive relay operating the other half-step relay to a same position as said first half-step'relay to energize 'a solenoid in said printing device, said half-step relays when both operated to a first position causing a solenoid to be energized over one of the odd numbered relays in said first group and an energized relay of the second group of relays, and said half-step relays when both operated to a second position causing a solenoid to be energized over one of the even numbered relays in said first group and an energized relay of the second group of relays.

7. A chain for programming the printout of pulsed data to an electrically actuated printing device such as an electric typewriter and for energizing the solenoids of said device by data arranged in a fixed format, said chain comprising first and second electrically connected groups of counting relays, means providing control signals, relay means responsive to said control signals for energizing and operating the relays in said first group successively, the same last relay in said first group controlling the recycling of said first group and controlling the successive energization of the relays in said second group, said relays in said second group counting the number of cycles of operation of said first group of relays, said relay means including drive relays controlling the successive operation of said counting groups, a pulsebridging timer relay maintaining said groups energized between control pulses, a cycle repeat relay for insuring the energization of only one relay of said second group of relays at a time and a pair of half-step relays, said drive relays operating the first half-step relay of said pair at a given time to cause a count to be entered into said counting groups, said drive relays operating said other half-step relay after the count is entered to cause a solenoid to be energized to enter a character in said printing device, said half-step relays when both operated to a first position causing a solenoid to be energized over one of the odd numbered relays in said first group and an energized relay of the second group of relays, and said halfstep relays when both operated to a second position causing a solenoid to be energized over-one of the even numbered relays in said first group and an energized relay of the second group of relays.

8. A program chain for energizing the solenoids of electrically actuating printing devices such as electric typewriters by data arranged in a fixed format comprising means providing control signals, a first group of counting relays, mean responsive to said control signals for energizing and operating said first group of relays successively, and a second group of chain repeat relays, operation of the same last relay in said first group energizing the relays in said second group successively to count the number of cycles of said first group of relays, and relay means operable by said control signals for causing energization of the solenoids over circuits using only the front contacts of said second group of relays whereby contact requirements are kept at a minimum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,375,413 Guenther May 8, 1945 

